Pokemon: Tears of a Dreamer
by Yu-Shin Chen
Summary: She was kidnapped at the age of 8. They showed her it was alright to dream. Can Ash and his friends protect the Guardian of Dreams and prevent an ancient war from returning and destroying the Pokemon World? New friends, new foes: a whole new adventure.
1. First Reactions

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Note: This story is an AU, there will be OCs, and probably OOC characters.

Time: Just after Sinnoh, so Ash is around fifteen I think, so base everyone else on him. I think Paul's around thirteen or fourteen also.

* * *

Pokemon  
_Tears of a Dreamer_

Chapter One  
First Reactions

Ash, Brock, and Dawn walked down a road surrounded by trees. Pikachu, at the head of the group, cheerily ran up the hill before them. The yellow Pokemon turned around, shouting cheerfully and excitedly back at them. Piplup called to Pikachu, running after him as quickly as his webbed feet would take him. Ash, too, seemed to be awfully cheerful this morning as well. He had made it into the top ten of the Sinnoh League; although he hadn't won the league he was still happy to have been able to make it that far. Not only that, but now they were going to take a ferry back to Pallet Town. It would be Dawn's first time meeting Delia, but Ash dearly missed his mother.

Dawn grinned to herself, giggling as she turned to Brock who was holding Happiny in his arms, "Boy, Ash sure seems to be happy today."

Brock nodded in understanding, "It's been awhile since we've been back in Pallet. Say Dawn, this'll be your first time in the Kanto Region won't it?"

She too nodded, "Yeah. I'm so excited!"

"I hear ya." Brock replied, "It'll be great to be able to visit my family in Pewter City too. It's great to travel all the time, but you and Ash should take a break once in awhile."

"I know but I'm totally psyched!" Dawn said, "I can't believe I made it all the way into the top ten at the Sinnoh Grande Festival! The only thing that would've made me even happier is actually winning it."

"Well don't worry, Dawn. There's plenty more contests to participate in. Who knows, you might even want to try out the contests here in Kanto."

"Come on guys!" Ash called to them from atop the hill, standing with Pikachu and Piplup, "We're gonna be late for the ferry! I can't wait to get back to Pallet!!"

"That's the fastest I've ever seen Ash move." Dawn commented in amusement.

"Yeah, but I hope Ash realizes that after the ferry ride, there's still a bit of a walk till we reach Pallet Town." Brock chuckled.

Dawn laughed along with the older boy as they moved to catch up with the zealous brown eyed boy. They made it up and then down the hill quickly, where they could see the large dock the ferry they would be riding was docked at, not to mention the even larger river the ferry would be sailing on. It was a crystal clear blue, sparkling in the early afternoon sun, the shores lined with trees. No doubt the forest surrounding the river was teaming with hundreds maybe even thousands of Pokemon.

Ash laughed to himself, his smile growing wider, "Looks great! Let's go!"

Soon they were running towards the docks, not even minding the other people already at the dock. Ash looked around where there were several others, his eyes catching sight of a small twelve or thirteen year old girl. Around her neck was a black ribbon choker, the back ending in a bow; the center had a large silver crescent moon with a beautiful vine like etching, and dangling from the moon on a short silver chain link was a strange bluish purple jewel shaped like a tear. It sparkled in brilliant shades of blue and purple when light shone on it. She was thin and her skin was pale, and she wore a white no sleeved sun dress that moved lazily with the breeze and white cloth half fingered gloves that reached up to her elbows; they were embroidered with a sort of black lace in the pattern of roses and vines, and on her right wrist she wore a violet Poketch while her left wrist adorned a blood red ribbon with a long tassle. But what struck Ash as strange were her large purple eyes, so full of a forlorn sadness, standing at the end of the docks alone, except for a Vulpix with a small silver crescent moon hair pin in her bangs hanging casually off her shoulder. However, the brown eyed boy was soon distracted by his Pikachu, who reminded him that Brock and Dawn were already moving ahead of them. Moving fast to catch up, they got in line to buy tickets, along with several other passengers, unbeknown to them that, of course, Team Rocket was following closely behind. After they received their tickets to board the ferry, they were informed that the ferry wouldn't be leaving for quite some time, and they decided to take break a small distance away from the docks, full of bustling people.

"Watch it!" A gruff sounding voice rose into the air. Ash, Brock, and Dawn all turned back towards the docks, where to Ash's surprise one of the deckhands was berating the quiet girl he'd seen earlier.

Ash, pulled in by a strange curiosity, moved forward back towards the docks. "Ash!" Dawn called to him, "Where are you going?"

But the boy wasn't listening, Pikachu following him on his heels. The man continued to shout at the quiet girl, who didn't respond, only continued to stare ahead with her sad eyes. "Hey -!" Ash started to say.

"What's your problem?" A voice suddenly rang out from the crowd. A girl with orange hair pulled into a side ponytail stepped out of the crowd, frowning, one hand holding her traveling bag over her shoulder and the other carrying an Azurill. Her aquatic blue eyes flashed angrily as she came closer to the deckhand and the girl, "Why are you yelling at her?!"

"She walked into me and she won't apologize!" He replied, "Maybe I should teach you some manners!"

"Raelene, is that true?" The orange haired girl asked the purple eyed girl, her voice softer than when she was addressing the deckhand. To Ash's amazement, the pale girl responded to her, nodding her head. "But you're very sorry, aren't you?" Again, the girl nodded. The girl with oceanic eyes turned toward the deckhand, "There, you see? She didn't mean to walk in to you, and she's sorry. Come on, Raelene, I figured out which ferry we should take. We have to buy tickets."

"I'm not through with her!" The man complained, "You said she's sorry, then why haven't I heard a word from her? I demand to get an apology!"

"Raelene doesn't speak." She replied, frowning, "So she can't apologize to you. But she is sorry for bumping into you. Isn't that enough?"

"Ugh...Misty...?!" Ash cut into the conversation, dumbstruck upon seeing the Water Pokemon Trainer here on the docks.

"A-Ash?!" Misty stuttered, turning towards him.

"I'm not done!" The deckhand sighed and began to walk away, grumbling under his breathe, "Oh forget it..."

"It's great to see you, Ash!" Misty exclaimed, moving closer to the boy. She reached a hand out, stroking Pikachu's cheek, "You too, Pikachu."

"Hey Misty, what're you doing here?" Ash asked, "I mean, who's watching the Cerulean Gym?"

"Well my sister's are pausing their tour around the world for awhile." Misty explained, "As for why I'm here, that actually has to do with why they're postponing their trip. This is Raelene," She beckoned towards the purple eyed girl, "and her Vulpix's name is Lior. The reason I'm here is to catch a ferry to another dock where we can get on a boat. I have to bring Raelene to the Vrona Region."

"The Vrona Region?" Ash tilted his head.

"Yeah, the Vrona Region." She nodded, "It's the region that's south of Kanto and Sinnoh. Strangely enough, Vrona's climate is more extreme than Kanto or Sinnoh. I heard that it can be really cold there. We've still got quite a bit to travel to get to there."

"Misty, long time no see!" Brock shouted as he and Dawn joined them.

"Hey, Brock, great to see you!" She replied with a smile. Her blue eyes caught sight of the pink pokemon in his arms and she began to giggle, "And who's this cutey?"

"This is Happiny." Brock replied as he tickled the round Pokemon, "There's someone I want you to meet." He turned so that Dawn could be included into the conversation, "This is Dawn. We met her in the Sinnoh Region."

"It's nice to meet you." Dawn said, bowing ever so slightly, and then indicated her penguin like Pokemon at their feet, "And this is my Piplup."

"I'm Misty."

"Hey, you're the lure girl!" Dawn stated.

"The what?"

"The lure girl!" Dawn laughed, "Ash has a lure that looks just like you!"

"Oh, so you still have that thing, huh?" Misty said, turning towards him.

"Well, yeah...It's not like I could just throw it away..." Ash replied awkwardly.

"Oh yeah, I want you to meet somebody too." She went to the small, purple eyed girl and, putting her arms around her shoulder, brought her closer into the group, "This is Raelene, and her Vulpix is Lior. I was visiting Alto Mare when I found her. Don't be put off by how quiet she is, though, she doesn't talk."

"Hi, Raelene, it's nice to meet you. I'm Dawn." She offered her hand, but Raelene's purple eyes only continued to stare forward at nothing in particular, as if she hadn't heard a thing, completely unreactive. Awkwardly, Dawn sank back, her smile fading into an expression of confusion.

"Sorry, she doesn't react to much of anything." Misty said, equally awkwardly, "It's a long story."

"Er, I'm Ash." He said, tryng to lighten the mood up. Pikachu popped up onto his shoulder and he patted the yellow Pokemon with a smile, "And this is Pikachu."

"Pika pikachu!" He exclaimed excitedly.

Lior immediately called back to him in greeting. Much to everyone's surprise, what seemed almost like a tiny twinkle appeared in her eyes as they lifted, losing some of their sadness. Her purple eyes, rather than focus on Ash, went straight to the yellow Pokemon. Though her expression still seemed sad, her eyes were no longer unfocused. Raelene reached a pale hand forward, slowly but gently touching Pikachu's cheek and rubbing him there. His eyes slid shut as he smiled, enjoying the feeling. Soon Raelene reached her other hand up and began to rub his other cheek as well.

Dawn's surprised expression soon became a bright smile. She leaned down and picked Piplup up, "This is my Piplup, Raelene."

"I'm Brock, and this is my Happiny." Brock chimed in, showing her the happy pink Pokemon.

Raelene leaned down to pet Dawn's Piplup, and then she caressed Happiny, who began to giggle. Smiling encouragingly, Brock allowed Raelene to hold the pink Pokemon who continued to giggle. Lior leaped from her shoulder, joining Piplup on the ground.

"But she does react well to Pokemon." Misty commented, laughing.

"Raelene, why don't you take the Pokemon over there by that tree." Brock said calmly, "We'll be there in a minute." Raelene didn't reply, but simply carried Happiny over towards the tree that Brock had indicated, followed by Lior, Pikachu, and Piplup. Misty placed her Azurill on the ground, who bouncily followed after them.

* * *

"So, Misty, why're you going to Vrona?" Ash questioned.

"It's kind of complicated, Ash." Misty replied, sighing.

"Well why don't we take a break." Dawn suggested, "Then you'd have plenty of time to explain!"

Misty pursed her lips and almost looked as if she would refuse, her eyes traveling towards Raelene with their Pokemon. Smiling, she nodded, "Alright, guys, but Raelene and I have to buy tickets soon."

After setting up for a quick lunch, Ash, Misty, Dawn, and Brock sat on the grass to eat. They let all their Pokemon out to eat as well, and Raelene opted to eat surrounded by them rather than humans. Lior sat next to her trainer, sharing a bowl of food with Ash's Monferno.

"Raelene didn't let out any of her Pokemon, except Lior who was already out." Dawn observed.

"Lior's the only Pokemon Raelene has with her now." Misty explained.

Brock turned towards Misty with a serious expression, "Misty, what's this all about?"

Misty took in a deep breath and let it out, "To tell you the truth, I'm really not sure what's happening. When I told you that I found Raelene in Alto Mare, I mean I _really_ found her. I was deep sea diving with Caserin in the ocean around Alto Mare when I stumbled upon this weird underwater facility. It seemed really suspicious, so I went inside to take a look. I found Lior first, trapped in a glass bubble. After I released her she led me deeper inside, which is where I found Raelene."

"Are you serious?" Dawn said in shock, "But how can that be allowed?!"

"That's just it." Misty said, "It's not. Raelene was locked up in a cage. At first she wouldn't react to anything, not even when I broke her out of the cage. She just sat there, until Lior called to her. We were able to escape without any real mishap, but those people who captured her are looking for her still. Raelene seemed really out of it, and she hasn't ever talked to me or even spoken a word since I found her. She only wrote me notes in the beginning, and even then it was only to make me promise her that I'd help her get to Vrona. To tell you the truth, even after all this, I'm still not sure why she needs to go there or why those people are trying to kidnap her."

"Wow, Misty, you seem really stressed out." Brock said.

Misty sighed loudly, "Well yeah, of course I am! Those guys keep coming back! And it's not like I get any real answers, either!"

"This is all so terrible..." Dawn put in, "I mean...I can't even imagine what she's been through..."

"Why don't you two come with us to Pallet?" Ash suggested.

Misty stared at him, blinking blankly for a moment at the sudden proposition. "Wh...What do you mean, Ash? We have to get to Vrona - "

"Yeah, I know all that, but it seems like you and Raelene could really use a break. What better way to rest than to spend some time with friends!"

"Ash, I think that's a great idea!" Dawn agreed.

"But, I made a promise to Raelene that I would get her to Vrona." Misty protested.

"Vrona's not going anywhere anytime soon." Ash reminded her, "You can just rest a little bit and then you can go on there."

"And who knows, Misty." Brock nodded as he watched Raelene, "Maybe spending time with a bunch of different kinds of Pokemon will help to heal her a bit."

Misty heaved a heavy sigh, but smiled nonetheless, "Maybe you're right. I want Raelene to know that she's safe now, and that she can relax, even if just a little. Alright, Ash, I'd love to go back with the three of you to Pallet."

"Great! Let's go tell Raelene!" Dawn said excitedly.

"Dawn, wait - !" Misty said, trying to stop her.

But Dawn didn't hear her, and she ran over to Raelene and their Pokemon before anyone could stop her. "Raelene, guess what?" She said, "You're gonna come with us to Pallet Town! It'll be the first time either of us meets Ash's mom. I'm so happy, too! We'll get to meet Professor Oak as well. Maybe he'll even recite a poem for us!"

For the first time since they met, Raelene reacted to another human other than Misty, her eyes growing slightly larger in what they perceived as surprise. Her purple eyes immediately landed upon Misty, who quickly moved to the younger girl. Raelene scrolled through the apps on her Poketch, finally finding the Memo Pad App, where she furiously wrote: _You promised you'd help me get to Vrona._

"I know I promised you - "

Raelene quickly erased her original message and wrote, _Then why aren't we going to Vrona? Instead we are going to Pallet...?_ Again she erased the message and wrote, _I have to go there, with or without your help._

"We will go to Vrona." Misty stated, "Just like I promised, we will. But we're just going to Pallet first, okay?"

"I know you'll have lots of fun there." Ash commented, "Professor Oak's got so many Pokemon at his lab. I know they'll love getting to know ya."

Raelene simply ignored the brown eyed boy, erasing the message on her memo pad, and then writing another. She turned to Misty, showing her what she had written, _Alright. But we go to Vrona right after._

Misty sighed in relief, nodding with a bright smile, "Deal."

"Alright!" Ash shouted loudly, "Then it's on to Pallet Town!!"

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed just as excitedly.

"Listen, is that a twerp I hear?" Jesse's voice suddenly interrupted them.

"It's speaking to me loud and clear!" James chimed in.

"On the wind!"

"Past the stars!"

"In your ear!"

"Bringing chaos at a breakneck pace,"

"Dashing hope, putting fear in it's place."

"A rose by any other name is just as sweet,"

"When everything's worse, our work is complete."

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"And Meowth, now that's a name!"

"Putting the do-gooders in their place..."

"We're Team Rocket..."

"In your face!!"

"Don't tell me you clowns are still following Ash around!" Misty shouted in annoyance.

"Hey, wait," James sound, peering down from their balloon at Misty, "Isn't that one..."

"A twerpette that's been gone a long time?" Meowth finished for him.

"Who cares?!" Jessie yelled, "Just grab that Pikachu!"

"Right!" Meowth pulled out a control panel and pressed a large red button upon it. A compartment in the basket of their air balloon opened and a rubber hand shot out, seizing Pikachu from Ash's shoulder and pulling him up in the air.

"No, Pikachu!" Ash shouted in dismay.

"Team Rocket, you let him go now!" Dawn demanded.

"Nya nya!" They taunted, spitting their tongues at them.

"Now, time for the others!" Meowth said as he pressed more buttons. More compartments opened, more rubber hands shooting out at all the Pokemon that had been let out.

Raelene stared up at them, frozen to her spot, her large purple eyes wide with fear. Those hands, the stealing of their Pokemon, it all served to remind her of a terrile incident...

* * *

_Raelene was around the age of eight. She ran through a large and dense, but beautiful and peaceful, forest, giggling as she went. If you looked around, you could see Stantler grazing and a flock of Pikachu playing, among other Pokemon who were enjoying the dense forest. A little Vulpix, Lior, ran alongside the small girl. The blue-purple jewel on her choker necklace sparkled in the occasional patch of sun peaking through the leaves of the trees. Raelene continued to run until she reached a wide, sunny clearing, breathing hard from all the running and laughing she had done. She stared up at the bright sun with a large, innocent smile._

_A bark came from the forest and a Houndour suddenly jumped out of the forest, tackling the little eight year old to the grassy floor playfully. She rolled across the grass, still laughing. She sat up, scratching her Houndour behind the ear. Her Vulpix joined them, and Raelene soon took notice of a patch of beautiful pink wild flowers. Smiling to herself, she began to make a wreath of flowers, placing the first on her Houndour's head. She quickly made another wreath of flowers and was about to place it on Lior's head when a rubber hand, very similar to Team Rocket's, shot out from the air above and seized the tiny Vulpix. _

_The wreath of flowers fell from Raelene's hands as Lior was pulled up into the air. Gaping, Raelene's eyes filled with the sight of a huge, forboding airship, the hand coming from it. Lior squeaked as she struggled against the hand, but soon the hand began to change. A glass ball encased Lior, causing her to stop struggling as she looked about herself in confusion. A jolt of electricity suddenly ran through the glass orb. Lior began to scream in pain as she was shocked, struggling even more, which only made the shock of electricity more intense._

_"Lior!" Raelene shouted, running forward so that she was closer, but Lior was still horribly out of range. "Let her go!"_

_The sound of rustling came loudly from the forest. A Bagon ran through it, running up a tree, jumping from branch to branch. When the Bagon reached the forest he shot upwards with a Headbutt at glass ball that surrounded Lior. It only served to shock him, throwing him to the floor. The stubborn Bagon, however, wouldn't give up. It stood up quickly, running up the tree. It jumped into the air, shooting a Dragonbreath at the bottom of the aircraft. It struck the aircraft, but didn't even scratch it. Another hand shot out from the bottom of the aircraft, this time slapping the little dragon Pokemon, causing the Bagon to fly over the forest, disappearing from view._

_"Azriel, no!" Raelene shouted in dismay._

_The side of the aircraft opened, revealing a tall man and a slender woman, both dressed in a heavy greenish-black uniform. "Are you the girl named Raelene?" The man questioned._

_"Who cares," The woman said, "She's wearing the necklace, so it must be her. Alpha Team, move in!"_

_"My necklace?" Raelene whispered to herself, touching the jewel at her neck._

_Raelene's Houndour crouched low, bristling and puffing up twice his size as something in the forest that surrounded them began to move. He growled low, showing his sharp fangs as more men and women dressed in greenish-black uniforms appeared around them. They dug into their pockets, producing Pokeballs. Soon, Raelene and her Houndour were surrounded by a Hitmonchan, a Poliwrath, and a Golem. Raelene took a fearful step back, wanting to run, unaware of the fact that there was a man coming up behind her. Meanwhile, her Houndour, noticing her hesitation, wouldn't back down. He surged forward, releasing a blast of fire from his mouth, aimed at the Hitmonchan. It backed away, but was unable to escape the fire. The Golem jumped up, curling up, and starting into a Roll Out. It spun around, striking the Houndour. He flew through the air, but recovered quickly, using another blast of fire, though it didn't hurt the Golem much._

_"Wait, Noah!" Raelene shouted, about to run forward when someone seized her from behind, twisting it against her back. "Hey, let go!"_

_"Heh heh, we're gonna get praised for this for sure!" The man laughed, restraining the small girl with ease._

_"Let go of me!" Raelene protested, struggling against the man, who had to twist her other arm behind her back in order to restrain the feisty girl. Looking down, she stamped down onto the man's foot, causing him to shout in pain._

_"Quiet!" The man shouted in anger, slamming the small girl down onto the ground hard, completely winding her. Raelene continued to struggle, but the man continued to press her arms and back down, making it hard for her to breath._

_Raelene looked up as she fought back, just in time to see the Golem, Poliwrath, and Hitmonchan ganging up on her Houndour. The Golem whirled around again as the Hitmonchan struck the Houndour in the side, only to be hit by a more powerful Roll out. The Poliwrath followed up with a Bubblebeam. Despite the odds, Noah tried to stand again, his legs wobbling weakly. The Golem spun around yet again, striking him again._

_"Stop it!" Raelene cried out, feeling completely helpless as she was unable to do a thing, "Leave him alone! Noah! Stop it! __**NOAH!!!!**__"

* * *

_

Present day Raelene jolted when an Energy Ball produced from Ash's Grotle exploded as he attempted to release his friends. Misty commanded her Dewgong to use Ice Beam on one of the hands that had seized some of their Pokemon as Brock commanded Croagunk to use Brick Break on the frozen part of it. Raelene began to tremble, unable to prevent the memories from that event, and the events that occurred after, from arising into her mind. Tears began to well into her eyes, and she sank to her knees, clutching her head as crystalline tears began to fall from her eyes. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, moving her her hands to her ears as she tried to block the sounds of Noah being attacked continuously out of her ears, though they were only in her mind.

Ash was the first to notice Raelene on the ground. He kneeled down next to her, placing his hands around her shoulders, "Raelene, you okay?" The purple eyed girl didn't answer, tears continuing to fall from her pale cheeks. Ash frowned, thinking that it was Team Rocket that was causing her distress. With angry eyes, he turned towards their balloon yet again. "Staraptor!" He shouted, who, along with the rest of their Pokemon, had just been freed, "Use Brave Bird to pierce the balloon!"

"Staraptor!" The large bird replied, rising higher into the air. It quickly changed directions, shining blue as it surged downwards at an angle. It shot through the Meowth head balloon, creating a large hole in it. Air rushed out of it with a loud rushing noise, and the balloon flew off course.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!!" They shouted, disappearing from view.

"Alright!" Dawn shouted triumphantly, jumping up and down with her Pokemon, "We did it!"

"Raelene, what's the matter?" Brock questioned, rushing over to where Ash and Misty were with Raelene. Dawn soon joined them, her smile disappearing.

"Hey, Raelene, come on!" Ash said in an attempt to help her. She shook her head, unable to stem her tears. "Tell us what's wrong. Raelene!"

* * *

_**To Be Continued...**_


	2. Remembrance

Beginning Note: Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, and/or favorite this story! Your support really is a big help, especially when it comes to updating. It gives me more motivation to continue on with the story. My friend on youtube, her account name is RosettaTayceStone, has created a video under the same name that sort of summarizes the story in a more exciting way ;) She'll be making more videos about the story along the way hopefully, but go ahead and check it out if you want. Also, I want to apologize for taking such a long time to update. Thanks again everyone, and as always I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Pokemon  
_Tears of a Dreamer_

Chapter Two  
Remembrance

Raelene sat at the back of the small, local ferry boat; the sun was beginning to sink lower into the sky, painting it with small streaks of pink and pastel shades of blue. It was relatively small, much like that of a tourist boat, the back part of the boat being open to the sky and the white rail lined with red seats for passengers to sit on and take pictures at. Just a little over half an hour ago, Misty had bought herself and Raelene tickets, and they had all boarded the boat together, ready to get to Pallet Town. Raelene seemed to have calmed down since her initial breakdown earlier that day, though now she seemed even more withdrawn than she had been. She sat straight and stiffly in her seat, her hands placed on her knees, as she stared down at the wooden deck floor; that lonely look that Ash had first seen her have had not only returned but seemed to have become worse. Lior, sitting next to her Trainer, stared up at her with a worried expression.

"She looks really down." Dawn said with a frown, holding her Piplup in her arms. She and the rest of them were sitting in the seats nearer the driver. "I wish there were something we could do, but she won't even answer me when I call her name."

"Piplup..." Piplup agreed in a worried tone.

"She'll be okay, more or less, Dawn." Misty said, trying to smile though she failed to do so.

"I didn't think Team Rocket could scare anyone, let alone make someone react like that." Ash commented.

"This happens sometimes." Misty explained, "She'll see something that will remind her of when she was held captive and withdraw again. But don't worry. She'll be alright…More or less."

"Ooh, Team Rocket." Dawn said angrily through gritted teeth, "Sometimes they just make me so mad!"

"So, anyway, Ash," Misty said, "Why are you going back to Pallet? Is it because you just finished with the Sinnoh League? I saw your battles on TV."

Ash nodded, "Yeah, and Dawn here was entered in the Sinnoh Grande Festival."

"Both of them made it into the top ten in their divisions." Brock commented.

"Really? That's awesome. Congratulations." Misty said with a bright smile, "I imagine, then, that you're all going to Pallet to rewind a little?"

"Yeah, but Brock's going to Pewter for a little while first." Dawn answered, "I wonder what Pallet will be like? I've never been to the Kanto Region before."

"You'll love it there." Misty replied, "Mrs. Ketchum is really nice, and her cooking's great!"

"No one cooks like my mom." Ash agreed, "You'll love it, Dawn. Right, Pikachu?"

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed. He jumped off of Ash's shoulder and pointed towards Raelene, "Pika pika?"

"That's a great idea, Pikachu." Ash nodded, "Why don't you go keep Raelene and Lior company?"

"Piplup, you go too." Dawn stated.

"Piplup pip." He replied enthusiastically.

Together, the two small pokemon ran over to her and Lior. Lior greeted them and they began to talk. Pikachu jumped up onto the cushioned seat next to Raelene's bag and, with a cheerful voice, attempted to greet her. Raelene ignored him, but then Lior jumped up next to the electric pokemon and shook her head, indicating that it was useless. Piplup, feeling left out, attempted to climb onto the chair as well, causing it to move back and forth. Raelene's bag fell open, and a photo fell out of it, drifting down to the deck floor. Pikachu nimbly leaped from the chair as Piplup finally made it on top, Lior watching from above. He picked it up, revealing an image taken of Raelene when she was around five or six years old. Her bright amethyst eyes weren't even concentrated on the holder of the camera, but rather a houndour, who, even when sitting, was a head taller than the five year old. She was smiling in the picture as she hugged the equally houndour.

"Pika, pikachu?" Pikachu asked as he held the picture up to Raelene.

As Raelene's purple eyes roamed over to the picture in his tiny paws her eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped, as if she had gasped, only no sound was produced. Reaching down, she quickly snatched the photo from his tiny paws, nearly bowling the poor pokemon over in the process. She held it close to herself, staring at the houndour in the photo, before storing it away in her white travel bag.

Ash was there in a flash, helping Pikachu to his feet. "Hey Raelene, what'd you do that for?" He demanded, but the purple eyed girl only turned away, refusing to respond. "Hey, I asked you a question!"

"Ash, stop yelling." Misty reprimanded as she, Dawn, and Brock joined them.

"Piplup, what happened?" Dawn inquired, and the pokemon began to speak at a quick pace, making wild gestures, as he attempted to explain what had happened. "Slow down, Piplup, I can't understand you! What's up?"

"I know exactly what's up." Ash cut in, still infuriated, "Raelene thinks that she's too good to talk to us, that's what. She just doesn't think we're 'worth' talking to or responding to, right Raelene?"

"Pika…Pikachu…" Pikachu tugged on the brown eyed boy's jeans, trying to get him to calm down.

"Yeah well that's just fine." Ash said, "Because me and Pikachu don't want to talk to you either!"

"Ash, that's enough, stop!" Dawn shouted. Ash promptly picked Pikachu up, turned around, and stormed back inside the boat. "Ash, just calm down!" Dawn commented as she followed him back into the boat.

"Raelene, I'm sure whatever happened was just an accident. Won't you just apologize or explain whatever it was that happened?" Misty said gently, trying to coax the girl into an explanation, "Come on, will you talk to me?" But still she continued to ignore them. The annoyance and frustration that Misty felt began to boil inside, and the fiery spirit that Misty once had forced its way to the surface. "I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but fine, Raelene. If you won't tell me what's wrong, how am I supposed to help you?"

As Misty, too, went back inside Brock shook his head in disappointment as she went. "You know, Raelene," He said calmly to the girl, who had returned to staring straight ahead of herself, "Pikachu was probably just trying to help you. We get that you've been through a lot, so if something's bothering you, you could just tell us, and we'd do our best to help. We know that you don't speak, but the least you could do is write it down on your Poketch for us. And even if you don't trust me, Dawn, and Ash – I get that, we just met – but you could confide in Misty. I mean, she dropped everything, just to bring you to the Vrona region. Cut her some slack."

Brock, seeing that, like everyone else, he wasn't going to get a response, he decided to go inside the boat with everyone else. Piplup leaped off of the chair he was sitting in, gave her a sad and disappointed look, before following after everyone else. Once everyone was gone, except Lior who stared up at her with a saddened expression, Raelene heaved a sad sigh of her own, her entire body slumping over as she pushed the airs from her lungs. Frowning to herself, she pulled the photo of herself and Noah from her bag, staring at it for a long while. She felt tears beginning to prick her eyes again and, refusing to cry again, she sighed. Lior stood, rubbing her head on her arm, trying to comfort her trainer. As the boat turned into a clear river, surrounded by a dense forest, she stared up at the setting sun.

* * *

"Ash, you need to calm down." Dawn told him, "Why did you freak out like that? I'm sure that Raelene knocking Pikachu over was a complete accident."

"Yeah, well then why didn't she apologize?" He replied stubbornly.

"You know that she can't do that…"

"Well she could've wrote it down." He grumbled, frowning.

"You were pretty short with her, too."

He took a breath in and then expelled the air from his lungs, and the frustration he felt was gone. His frown became an expression of worry, "I was pretty harsh, wasn't I?"

"Yeah, me too." Misty commented.

"I'm sure all of you can meet halfway." Brock stated wisely, "It was just a simple misunderstanding."

"Pika, Pikachu." Pikachu agreed with a smile.

"Hey guys," Dawn said, "What're those?" She pointed towards some trees that surrounded them; what seemed like red lights were flashing. As the boat moved in deeper, more and more flashing lights were visible, only now they were joined by white lights floating in the sky as well.

Brock chuckled, "Oh, those red lights are just some Ledian, and those white lights are Volbeat. I wonder if there are some Illumise nearby?"

"Ledian? Volbeat? Illumise?" Dawn repeated, and then an excited look entered her eyes. "Come on, what're we waiting for? Let's go check them out!" She pulled out her pink Pokedex and ran out on deck, pointing it at the different colored lights. Dawn ran about the deck, pointing the devise at various pokemon, the electronic voice of her Pokedex came on and began to identify them, as Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and Piplup joined them out on deck.

"B-Bugs!" Misty exclaimed as she attempted to hide behind Ash.

"Yeah, aren't they beautiful?" Dawn replied enthusiastically.

The Bug-type pokemon, seeing their excitement, lifted off from the branches of the trees they perched on and over to the boat. They flew around them, going up to their faces to greet them. Piplup and Pikachu ran about the deck, chasing after various Ledian and Volbeat as well as being chased by them. A curious Illumise landed in front of Raelene, who was staring down at her hands on her knees. As it floated up, it caused Raelene's line of view to follow it, so curious about pokemon was she. The Illumise was soon joined by a group of Ledian and Volbeat who floated around her head, showing off their bright lights. The longer the pokemon stayed, the more the sadness in Raelene's expression disappeared. An Illumise floated over to Lior and lightly tapped her nose. Lior let out a joyful squeal and began to chase the Illumise in a game of tag, joining Pikachu and Piplup.

"See Misty?" Ash said to her, "They're not so bad."

Misty laughed nervously, "Y-yeah, I guess so."

Ash looked over towards Raelene, who was surrounded by a ring of Ledian. Smiling, he shouted, "Hey Raelene! They're really awesome, aren't they?"

"Why don't you come join us?" Misty added with a smile.

Raelene didn't have a chance to reply, for a Ledian grabbed each of her hands, pulling her onto her feet. They, along with some more Ledian, pushed her towards them. Raelene spun around, trying to see all of the flickering lights that surrounded them. Soon, the Illumise rose into the air, using their special aroma to direct the Volbeat, drawing a star in the sky, and then a flower, and other various shapes with their bright lights. Raelene watched them with intense purple eyes, but not once did she smile.

"Hey, all of you must be really hungry by now, right?" Brock asked, "Well, why don't I make us some dinner?"

"Great idea Brock!" Ash exclaimed.

"Let's start setting up." Dawn nodded.

Seeing as the boat was only so large, they decided to just setup a blanket to sit on. As Brock made them dinner, Ash and Misty poured pokemon food and poffins into large bowls, which Dawn and Raelene promptly setup all around the boat. Ledian, Volbeat, and Illumise landed near the bowls, sharing them along with Pikachu, Piplup, Azurill, and Lior. Having finished, Brock soon passed them their share of the food, even giving the boat's pilot a bowl, and then they all sat on the blanket to eat.

"Brock it's been such a long time since I tasted your cooking!" Misty said, "This is absolutely delicious!"

"I agree, Misty." Dawn nodded, "Brock's the greatest gourmet chef in the world, isn't he, Raelene?"

Raelene gave her a slight nod of yes, to their surprise, and continued to eat. Brock smiled at the younger girl, "Thanks, everyone."

"We will be arriving at the docks shortly." The pilot shouted from his position at the steering wheel after a short while. "You should get your things ready. I hope you enjoyed the trip here!"

After they gathered their things and left the boat, they started down a forest path that would bring them to the road leading to Pallet Town. The walk there was relatively quiet and up a short mountain, most of the conversation between Ash, Misty, and Brock, talking about when they had traveled together and about what each of them had been doing since they departed. Dawn listened, enraptured by the stories that they told, every once in awhile asking a question or two. Raelene's eyes were trained upon the forest that surrounded them. There wasn't a pokemon that they passed by that she didn't see. She watched them with intense curiosity, wondering about their lives and how they lived, what they've witnessed and what they would witness. After awhile, they came upon a fork in the road.

"Oh man," Ash said with a worried expression, "Which way do we go?"

"Hmm…" Brock said thoughtfully, looking at his Kanto guide, "Well the route to our right leads to Pewter City, and the one to our left leads to Pallet Town."

"Does this mean you'll be departing from us Brock?" Dawn frowned.

"Well I just want to go home and see my dad and siblings." Brock replied, "I'll come by Pallet Town as soon as I can, so be sure not to leave without me!"

"Of course not Brock." Misty said, "We'll see you soon, then."

He nodded, "If you keep along the path, you'll come across a Pokemon Center you can stay at for the night. After that, the path should lead you down the mountain and straight to Pallet."

"Thanks Brock. See you later." Ash said.

After waving goodbye for a moment longer, Brock started down his designated path and soon disappeared from view. Ash and company decided to start down their path right away, so as to arrive at the Pokemon Center sooner. Everyone was pretty tired from the boat ride here, and all relished in the thought of sleeping indoors on a real bed, with real pillows and a real blanket. As she had done in the forest, Raelene's eyes continued to look for more Pokemon. Her world, in such a short time, had suddenly expanded to what she saw before herself, and she wanted to take in as much of it as she could.

"Wow, Raelene." Dawn laughed, "You seem so interested in everything around you!"

"You've been very responsive today." Misty commented, "It must be because of that. You're starting to realize that there are things all around you."

Raelene gave her a quick nod before returning her gaze to their surroundings. The three girls' quiet discussion was interrupted by a loud and frustrated sigh from Ash, "Walking and more walking! How much longer do we have to walk?!"

"I don't know, Ash, but just calm down." Dawn said.

"How can I keep calm?! I've been waiting all day to get back to Pallet, and we're still not there!"

"Yes, but we still have a ways to go, Ash." Misty put in with a frown, "We won't be able to make it there until tomorrow morning. Ash, this is your hometown. You should know this!"

"How am I supposed to know if I've never been down this way before?"

"You always do this, Ash. Why don't you ever look at the map ahead of times? Instead, you wait till a moment precisely like this."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Hey, guys, come on –" Dawn said.

"What I mean is you should've looked ahead when you had the chance, but you didn't, Ash."

Raelene's purple eyes were now on Misty and Ash, and suddenly her mouth cracked a smile. Her shoulders began to shake and she slightly doubled over in silent laughter. Dawn smiled, laughing along with her, "Hey, look at that. She smiled!"

"And exactly what's so funny?" Misty chuckled.

Raelene shook her head and continued to laugh. She pointed further down the road, at the precise Pokemon Center the two had been arguing over. It was very large, it's bright lights cutting warmly into the night air.

"The Pokemon Center!" Ash exclaimed, "Come on, let's hurry!"

"Bet you me and Raelene will get there first!" Dawn said playfully. She seized Raelene's hand and pulled her forward along with her Piplup.

"Not if I beat you!" Ash replied. He offered Misty his hand, "Come on! We can't let them beat us!"

"Right." Misty took his hand, laughing as they chased after their friends.

* * *

Their laughter filled the night air as they ran towards the Pokemon Center, but unbeknownst to them, somewhere lurking in the shadows was a pair of eyes staring straight for them. A woman dressed in a heavy greenish-black uniform peaked out from behind a large tree, watching the group of four as they ran down the road. A wicked grin crossed her face as she brought a black walkie-talkie to her mouth, "Scout 1 reporting. Target has been sighted en route to Pallet Town. She along with that Water Pokemon Trainer have been joined by two others. They'll be lodging at the Pokemon Center."

"_Roger that."_ Came the reply from the radio, _"Keep target in sight, Scout 1. We'll be there shortly. Mother ship out."_

The woman stowed her walkie-talkie back into her belt and started for the Pokemon Center. The ship she had contacted was very close, somewhere flying over Viridian City. From down below, it looked like no more than a large nimbus cloud or the night sky as it floated by, all due to a special camouflage. But if you were to look from above, you would see a huge black iron ship, glinting in the moonlight. The huge engine fans it used to fly suddenly changed directions, now heading towards Pallet Town at a surprising rate.

* * *

"Here you are." Nurse Joy told them in her usual gentle tone, "This is your room. You're all very lucky. This room leads right out onto the cliff. It's the best place to view the night." She handed the key to Misty, told them goodnight, and started back down the hall.

"Finally, a real bed!" Dawn shouted as they opened there room, revealing a room with two bunk beds and two night stands. A circular blue and white rug was lain at the center of the room to give it a more homely feeling, and a desk placed in the corner near the door held a computer that could be used to call. True to what Nurse Joy had said, there was a pair of glass paned doors on the opposite side of the door. Dawn pushed them open, running out onto the cliff side, staring out at the bright moon. A table sat just outside the door with some chairs.

After settling into the room, Dawn brought her sketchpad over to the table outside, Piplup jumping up onto the table beside it. Raelene, her hands folded together behind her back, walked out across the cliff edge, stopping near the tree at the edge. Her purple eyes were directed to the sky, staring out across the sky. Ash and Misty followed her out, sitting down at the table with Dawn.

"What're you doing?" Ash questioned.

"I'm thinking ahead." She replied, drawing what looked like a stage at the bottom of the paper, "In the next Contest I participate in, I want to be ready. So I was thinking that I could design something special for Pachirisu."

"That's right, Dawn, you're a Coordinator." Misty said, "So, where are you headed off to next?"

"I don't know…" Dawn sighed.

"There are Contests in every region." Ash reminded her, "There's the Johto Region and the Hoenn Region. Or, you could even stay here in the Kanto Region."

"Pika pika." Pikachu agreed.

"But there's just so many to choose from." Dawn sighed again, laying her head down on the table.

"Come on, Dawn, it's not that hard." Ash commented.

"Well then where are you off to next, 'Mr. Direction'?" Misty said sarcastically.

"Err…Well…I haven't really thought about it…" He said, scratching his cheek nervously. Just then, a movement in his right peripheral vision caused him to turn, but when he looked, nothing was there but some trees casting their long shadows.

"She's really very different." Misty observed as she watched Raelene who was using her pointer finger to trace the outline of stars, creating shapes of different types of pokemon with them, a bright smile plastered to her face. It was as if, after realizing that she could, Raelene couldn't stop smiling, and Lior, on her shoulder, called out in laughter. "And it's only been one day."

"I think it's from being surrounded by so many people and pokemon." Dawn put in, "I mean, it was just you and her up until now, right? Maybe she just needed to be reminded that there's more out there than just you, her, and Lior."

"You know what, Dawn, I think you're right. What is it Ash?" She questioned when the black haired boy suddenly stood up.

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

"I thought I saw something move." He mumbled as he walked a few steps towards the trees, craning his neck and squinting his eyes as he attempted to see into their darkened surroundings.

"Ash, there's nothing there." Dawn told him.

"But…I know I saw something…"

Lior began to call to them frantically; all three trainers whipped around, scared that something really was wrong, that perhaps she and Raelene were in trouble. But all they saw was Raelene waving her arms at them in an attempt to catch their attention, and the little fox pokemon, now perched atop her head, shouting. When she realized she had their attention, she spun around, pointing at the night sky. Looking up, they saw a stream of Butterfree flying across the sky, the dust released from their wings causing them to sparkle and glitter in the moonlight.

"Oh, awesome!" Dawn shouted to Raelene, then turned to Ash, "See, there's nothing wrong. You really scared us, Ash – "

"Piii ka." Pikachu said fiercely as he leaped from Ash's shoulders, directing their line of vision towards the Pokemon Center behind them.

"Pikachu, what is it?" Ash questioned.

"So sorry to interrupt your peaceful evening," The woman from before said sarcastically as she stepped out from behind the shadows of the trees. Her grin sharpened into a snicker as she came to a halt before them.

"Piii ka…" Pikachu growled, sparks emitting from his body.

"Pip piplup!" Piplup leaped off of the table and stood beside him, glaring at the forbidding woman.

"You!" Misty shouted as she abruptly stood from her seat, shoving the chair back, "I thought we lost you back in Cerulean!"

"Lost me?" She laughed, "Don't make me laugh! Those sisters of you were no match for me and my men. The only reason you got away was because I _let _you get away. But now, we're here to collect on our prize."

As the mother ship suddenly rose into the air, it caused the wind of the surrounding area to drastically speed up, whipping their hair and clothes about violently. The Butterfree scattered in the air, their flight interrupted as they attempted to fly away from the steel machine. Lior leaped into Raelene's arms as she took a step back in fear, her eyes wide as they stared straight at the machine.

"Now, Raelene, be a good little treasure, and come quietly." The woman said as she produced a Pokeball from her belt. "Ariados, Hypnosis - !"

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted before she could finish the command. Pikachu released a huge bout of electrical energy from its body, striking the Ariados before it could do a thing.

The side of the ship above opened, and small bombs from inside were released. They struck the ground in loud explosions, knocking the table over and thrusting them in a sea of dust and falling rock.

"Raelene!" Misty called out to her, "Raelene, where are you? Starmie, go, Rapid Spin!" As Misty released the star shaped pokemon and it began to turn in midair, the dust cleared some. Using what remained of the dust as cover, a Golbat appeared out of nowhere, flying straight at Pikachu.

"Piplup, Bubble Beam!" Dawn shouted. Piplup turned to the Golbat and released a barrage of blue bubbles, striking it and throwing it off course.

As the dust disappeared, to their dismay, more and more pokemon surrounded them. Lior leaped from Raelene's arms as a Fearow from the cliffside flew by. She released a fierce Flamethrower from her tiny mouth, causing it squawk in pain as its burnt wing threw it off course. It crashed into a Machoke that was attempting to crush Misty's Starmie, falling to the ground. Pikachu let off another stream of electricity, striking to Golbat at once. Piplup used Whirlpool, catching a Dodrio as it attempted to get close. The Dodrio quickly recovered and struck Piplup squarely on the head with a Drill Peck, causing it to stumble back. Pikachu turned around and shocked it, and it fell to the ground, fainted. Trainers from above recalled their unconscious pokemon, and the woman had disappeared. More small bombs fell from the ship, this time causing the ground to shake violently as they struck in succession.

"Is everyone okay?" Misty questioned.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Dawn replied.

"I'm fine too." Ash said as Pikachu leaped onto his shoulder.

"And Raelene?" Misty turned towards her. Raelene was kneeling over Lior, shielding her from the bombs, her hands over her heads. Slowly, she looked up, her eyes meeting Misty's ocean blue ones. Misty sighed in relief, "She's okay."

Slowly, Raelene stood up, holding Lior in her arms. She was about to take a step towards them when the ground beneath her began to shake, causing her to stop dead in her tracks, frozen with fear. A huge crack ran along the cliff side as a result of the bombs. "Raelene, get away from there!" Ash surged forward as fast as he could, "It's not safe!"

"Ash!" Misty called after him.

Raelene tried to run forward, but the ground beneath her feet crumbled quickly. Ash fell into a slide, trying to go faster. Sliding across the ground, he was able to catch her around the middle before she fell, but it was too late. Using his other hand, Ash reached for the cliff's edge in order to prevent them from falling, but the bit of the cliff he hung onto broke away from it, and the two plummeted to the darkness below.

"Ash!" Misty shouted as she frantically scrambled to her feet, "Raelene!"

"This isn't over, Water Pokemon Trainer!" The woman, now on the ship, shouted as it followed Ash and Raelene down the cliff side. "Mark my words, this isn't over!"

* * *

Ash shouted as he, Pikachu, Raelene, and Lior fell. At first his mind was blank, and he was unable to process what was happening. Finally collecting his mind, he reached for Staraptor's pokeball, releasing him. "Staraptor!" Ash shouted as they continued to fall. At first, Staraptor was confused, but then, seeing his trainer and Raelene plummet beneath him, shot downwards like a rocket. Ash reached out, seizing his Staraptor by the ankle, and he began to pull up. However, Ash's Staraptor wasn't used to carrying the weight of two, and they continued to fall towards the ground.

"Up, Staraptor, up!" Ash said frantically as the ground came closer and closer.

Staraptor lost control of his flying, moving in irregular patterns. Ash lost his grip on Staraptor's ankle and they fell down the rest of the way, falling through the branches of a tree and finally crash landing on the grassy floor below.

"Oh ow…" Ash said, rubbing a newly forming bruise on his forehead. "Thanks, Staraptor. Hey Pikachu, you okay?"

"Pika, Pikachu." Pikachu replied.

"Raelene," Ash went to the girl, helping her up, "How are you feeling?"

Raelene stared up at him, thankful for his assistance. The ship after her swooped down, shining a searchlight into the forest. She quickly pressed a finger to her mouth, indicating to him that he should remain quiet. She seized Ash by the wrist and pulled him with her behind a nearby bolder, followed by Pikachu, Staraptor, and Lior. They pressed as flat as they could up against the mountain, trying to minimize the possibility of being seen. The two looked upwards as the ship passed by and, not finding the results they wanted, disappeared into the night. Raelene let out a silent sigh of relief, sliding down to her knees.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ash questioned again. Raelene gave him a soft nod, to which he too sighed in relief, "That's great. Misty would kill me if you weren't. Now…How do we get back up there?" He stared up the mountain, but they had fallen so far down, they couldn't see the top in the darkness of night. "Well, there's no way we're getting back up that way…"

"Pika pika…" Pikachu agreed downheartedly.

"Staraptor, fly back up to Misty and Dawn. Let them know we're all okay."

"Staraptor!" The large bird pokemon flapped its powerful wings, lifting higher and higher into the air, until he disappeared from view.

"We should find somewhere to sleep for the night." Ash commented, turning back to Raelene, Pikachu, and Lior. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

"Oh hey Dawn." Brock said as his face appeared on the computer screen, stirring a bowl of what seemed to be cake batter, "What's wrong? You look worried."

"They're gone." Dawn replied, frowning deeply, her eyes shaking as she tried to prevent herself from crying. "They…They're gone!"

"Gone? Who's gone? Dawn, where is everyone else?"

"We were attacked," She replied frantically, "And…And Ash and Raelene – they fell off the cliff!"

"What?! Where's Misty, Dawn?"

"She keeps looking over the cliff to see if she sees them, but she can't. Brock, I don't know what to do!"

"O-Ok, now don't worry. We'll think of something. I'm sure that the two of them are just fine – "

"How can you know that? What if they're splattered over the pavement somewhere?!"

"Now just remain calm – "

"Dawn!" Misty ran back into the room followed by Staraptor, "They're okay!"

"Really? That's great! Where are they?"

"I think they're down below." Misty said, "But I think they're too far down, otherwise Staraptor here would've just carried them up."

"Then what should we do?"

"I think you two should get some rest." Brock spoke from the computer, "Ash will be fine, and he won't let anything happen to Raelene. Get some sleep and tomorrow you can start for Pallet. That's where Ash will be headed to anyway."

"Alright, Brock."

"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll be able to meet up with Ash and Raelene soon. I'll come as soon as I can."

"No, that's okay Brock." Misty shook her head, "Don't worry. We'll be able to reach Pallet tomorrow, so I think we've got things covered here. Just enjoy your time with your family."

"Thank Misty. Good night you two."

"Night, Brock." Misty replied as she shut the phone window down on the computer. She sighed, " I wish there were more that I could do. I don't know if I'll be able to rest at all…"

"Hey Misty," Dawn called to her from her bed, "During the confusion, this fell out of Raelene's bag."

Misty took the picture from her, sitting down next to her. Her brows furrowed in confusion, but then her expression became one of shock. "This picture – It's got to be Raelene! Just look at her eyes, and that choker around her neck. But this Houndour…"

"Who's Noah?"

"Who, Dawn?"

"Noah." She replied simply, her blue eyes blinking in expectation, "Look at the back. It says _Noah's First Day Home_."

"Hmm…" Misty said in thought, "Could it be…That this Houndour is Noah?"

"If this is a picture of Raelene, then…Do you think that this Houndour is Raelene's?"

"But I've never seen this Houndour before." Misty shook her head, "The only pokemon Raelene has with her is Lior."

"But then…Where is the Houndour Raelene's with in this picture?"

* * *

"Monferno, go!" Ash said as he released the monkey like pokemon from his Pokeball. Raelene followed them inside of a huge tree. The insides of the old tree's center had somehow been hollowed out and was large enough for the two of them to seek shelter in. "This should be okay till morning."

Raelene nodded and took up a position against the wall of the trunk. She pulled her knees up to her chest, leaning her chest upon the tops of them. She stared blankly ahead of herself like before on the boat, that deep, saddening expression entering her eyes once again. Ash frowned deeply to himself, his own expression troubled; he didn't like that expression, not one bit.

Putting on a cheerful face, Ash sat down next to her with a soft sigh, Monferno sitting before them to light the tree trunk. He turned to her, smiling, "Don't worry, Raelene. Everything's going to be just fine."

Raelene turned to him, a concerned look crossing her face. Her eyes looked him over with curiosity. She couldn't seem to understand this boy that sat next to her. What made him trust in something he didn't have a clue about? Why did he care so much about how she was feeling? Was he like those people chasing her? What did he want from her?

"Why don't you just get some rest?"Ash suggested softly, "Monferno and I will watch the entrance to the tree, if that's what you're worried about."

Raelene frowned, giving him an expression that looked something like a protest, but then Pikachu jumped onto her head. "Pika, pikachu." He said in a happy tone.

Finally, Raelene sighed, and nodded, agreeing to sleep first. She picked Pikachu up off her head and sat him down next to her, and lied down with her back facing Ash. Lior curled up next to her head, rubbing Raelene's face affectionately. Despite Ash's kindness, Raelene frowned to herself. He and Dawn and Brock had all been so nice to her. They had tried to cheer her up and gave her food, and had shown concern for her situation. They had even tried to protect her from the people chasing after her, and Ash had even fallen off a cliff to ensure her safety. But despite all of those things, it wasn't unusual for humans to be treacherous and even devious. All that they did was for themselves, or for something that would benefit them. The people that had held her captive for the better part of her life had taught her that. Could she really trust Ash?

* * *

The sun rose brightly over the horizon as day broke. Ash lightly patted his own face in an attempt to stay awake. Pikachu was curled up in his lap, and Monferno had since fallen asleep on the floor, the fire on his tail barely lit. Sunlight poured into the hollow tree, spilling across the forest floor. As nearby Pidgey began to chirp to one another, Raelene began to stir. Amethyst eyes sparkling in the sunlight fluttered open. Slowly, Raelene sat up, stiff from sleeping on the floor.

"Good morning." Ash said cheerfully.

"Pika pikachu." Pikachu added brightly.

"Sorry that there's no breakfast." He said apologetically, "But I guess…You'd rather get going to Pallet anyway, right? So you'll meet up with Misty sooner?" Raelene nodded, her eyes giving him an apologetic expression. "No need to worry. Let's get started then!"

Ash recalled his Monferno into his pokeball and then stood. He helped Raelene to her feet, and the two exited the tree followed by their pokemon. The morning was very calm, especially when compared to the events of the night before. They decided to follow the mountain as closely as they could, so as to keep on path to Pallet. Pokemon peaked out at them from the bushes, but Raelene chose to ignore them.

"How are you holding up?" Ash questioned after a long while.

Raelene gave him a nod, indicating that she was alright. They continued to walk for the better part of the day. She didn't seem to care at all about being tired, putting all her effort into reaching Misty as soon as possible. Eventually, Ash had to force her to take a break, especially since both Pikachu and Lior were exhausted from all the walking, but even then the break was short. Raelene did not like being alone with Ash, not at the moment at least. How could she trust someone she had only just met? Kindness was a tool used for deception, even if he was a friend of Misty's.

Even though they took care to remain as out of sight as possible, their efforts were wasted, for they were already being followed. Late that evening, the people chasing Raelene and Misty had come down from their ship. Using scanners, they had discovered Ash and Raelene hidden within the tree, and decided to wait till the next day to make their move. They watched both Ash and Raelene carefully, tracking their every movement, waiting for their chance. Soon, the sun began to set, and the mountain beside them began to slope downward, meaning that they were nearing Pallet.

"Now, Raelene, you need to take a break." Ash said forcefully, sitting her down on a nearby rock. Raelene glared up at him stubbornly as she pushed back, trying to stand up. "No, Raelene. Look at you. You're about to collapse! Now just take a break, okay? Pikachu and I will find some water."

Raelene looked away, refusing to meet his eyes. Ash sighed, not knowing what to do. Shaking his head, he and Pikachu headed off into the woods, following the sounds of rushing water. Lior decided to go along with them, leaping from Raelene's lap and running after them. Ash looked around and around, but all he could see were trees upon more trees. Looking up at the sun, he figured that they had a few more hours of daylight. Would they have to walk to Pallet in the dark?

"Pika!" Pikachu called to him from the top of a tree, waving a yellow paw. He pointed towards his left, where the river was.

Chuckling, Ash ran to his Pikachu, "Great job, Pikachu! Let's go get Raelene."

Lior suddenly bristled, growling low under her breath. The six tailed pokemon suddenly took off, shooting into the woods without looking back.

"Hey, Lior, what's wrong?" Ash shouted after the Vulpix, but she didn't respond.

"Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu shouted in a worried tone at Ash.

"You don't think…Oh no, Raelene!"

* * *

"Stop being stubborn!" A man dressed in the usual uniform of Raelene's chasers shouted, "Now come here, girly!" He seized Raelene's arms from behind her, but she fought back, twisting back and forth in an attempt to free herself. "Stop…Squirming! OW!" He shouted as she stomped as hard as she could on his foot.

Pulling as hard as she could, she yanked herself free from his grip, stumbling forward. Standing up, she tried to run forward, but was prevented by a Machoke, who, too, tried to grab her. She dodged, running in the opposite direction, the man shouting after her. She started into the woods, hoping that she could use the trees and underbrush as cover, quickly using her hands to move tree branches and push aside branches of bushes. Raelene frowned to herself; she couldn't believe it. How did they find her? Did Ash tell them? Is that why he made her take a break? He probably already had Lior in chains, and now they were going to capture her.

Raelene skidded to a halt as a large rock flew over her head and struck the tree in front of her. She ducked, covering her head with arms as she protected herself from chunks of rock and bark. She looked up with worried purple eyes as the dust cleared. The man approached her with a sly grin, tossing a Pokeball up and down in his hand.

"Give up. You can't escape." He chuckled, "Did you think that you could outrun the DreamChasers forever?"

Raelene leaned down, her eyes never leaving his face. She picked up a rock, throwing it at him as hard as she could. He ducked, and the rock flew over his head and struck a tree with a thud. Raelene turned on her heel, starting back into the forest. Standing straight once again, he glared at her, "That wasn't very nice! Ariados!" He released giant red spider pokemon from its Pokeball, and instantly it scurried into the forest after her.

Meanwhile, Ash, Pikachu, and Lior finally made it back to their original spot. Ash looked all around, feeling worry creeping into his blood when he didn't see any sign of Raelene. "She's gone." Ash said in dismay.

Lior put her nose to the ground, sniffing around the spot where Raelene had only just sat moments ago. Frantically, she sniffed and, catching Raelene's scent, started into the forest. Pikachu ran after her, stopping just before the forest. "Pika!" He pointed after Lior, indicating to Ash that they should follow. Nodding, the two chased after Lior into the darkening woods.

Raelene ducked as the Ariados shot a String Shot at her, the sticky web-like substance wrapping around the tree behind her. Not a second to lose, she continued to run frantically through the woods. She couldn't go back there, she just couldn't! As she ran, she began to remember, remember everything. _The facilities, that cramped cell they forced her to live in, the interrogation room, those awful men and women. _Raelene stumbled forward, her mind unfocused because of the images. She nearly crashed into a tree, but caught herself just in time. Breathing heavily, she tried to clear her mind and cleanse her body of the fear she felt. She jumped when she heard trees crashing behind her, and knew that the Ariados was getting closer. Swiftly, she ducked behind a large tree. Clapping a hand over her mouth, trying to slow her breath down so not to alert the Ariados to her presence, she waited, quaking as fear surged through her blood. The Ariados searched with its eyes, its head moving back and forth. Not seeing her, it scurried forward in search.

Sighing silently in relief, Raelene gave herself a moment to steady herself. Then, she pushed herself off the trunk of the tree. She moved forward, in the opposite direction the Ariados had gone. Where was Ash? What had he done with Lior? She had to find her and get out of here! _"Where is it?!"_ His voice filled her mind, _"__**SPEAK!!**__" _Raelene shook her head, clutching it with her hands, but his voice wouldn't go away, and she couldn't stop the images from filling her mind. _The man, tall and blonde, seized a then ten year old Raelene by the fronts of her dress. He pulled her from her chair and slammed her into the wall that had been behind her, "I told you to speak!" Raelene struggled against him, trying to pry his hand from her dress, but he slapped her across the face and forced her to stare up into his piercing blue-green eyes. Tears streamed out of her purple eyes, and she quaked in fear, but still she refused to speak. "You've been here two years already!" He shouted as he shook her, "I don't want to have to hit you again. Now __**speak**__!"_

Raelene crashed through the woods with unseeing eyes. Her mind was a jumble, confused between what she remembered and what was really happening. She threw herself through a bush and some trees, falling forward out of the woods, rolling across the grassy floor. Slowly standing, she looked up and realized that she had found the mountain she and Ash had been traveling beside of earlier. She suddenly found herself flying through the air, spinning, and then crashing onto the floor. She struggled, but found that her arms were bound to her body by a sticky sort of thread.

"Gotcha!" The man shouted triumphantly as he and his Ariados walked out of the forest, a walkie-talkie in hand, "Good work, Ariados. This is Scout 2 to Mother Ship. Target has been captured."

"_Roger that. We will be there shortly."_ Was his reply.

"Let her go!" Ash shouted angrily as Lior led him and Pikachu to Raelene. He dropped down next to her and began to furiously pull the sticky thread from her body.

"Hey, you get away from her!" The man told him.

"No!" Ash replied as he finished pulling all of the thread off.

Raelene stared at Ash as he helped her sit up. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Was he trying to help her? Was he really trying to help her? What did this mean? Did that mean she could really trust him?

"Hey, are you okay?" Ash asked her when he noticed her staring at him. "Don't worry. I won't let them hurt you."

"I warned you, boy." He growled, "Now you're gonna pay! Ariaodos, Night Shade!"

Ash moved in front of Raelene, taking the full blast of the hit. Wincing and in pain, Ash stood up from the ground. "You'll be safe her." He told her, moving forward to bring the battle away from her. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt, then follow up with Iron Tail!"

"Pi ka chuuuuuu!" Pikachu shouted as he released a blast of electricity from his body. It struck the Ariados head on before it could do a thing. Pikachu charged forward, its tail shining with power. But before he could use Iron Tail, a Fearow from above zoomed down, striking Pikachu, causing him to fly backwards with a shout of pain. As the bird pokemon flew overhead, made a circle, and began to come back, the ship from before rose out from behind the forest. The Fearow zoomed downwards, striking Pikachu yet again.

"Pikachu!" Ash called to him, but the resilient yellow pokemon got back up. "Alright, fine, two can play at this game. Monferno, let's go! Flamethrower!"

Monferno leaped out from its pokeball, releasing a bout of flames immediately. The Fearow dodged by rising higher into the air and then returned. Monferno jumped to the side, narrowly missing a Drill Peck as the Fearow came back down. Meanwhile, Pikachu had his hands full with the Ariados, jumping back several steps, dodging shots of String Shot. He tried another Thunderbolt, but this time it was unsuccessful. Golbat, no doubt released, from the aircraft above, poured down on them, only adding to the confusion the pokemons' battles caused. Ash released his Grotle, too, in an effort to stop the Golbat. As his Grotle and Monferno dealt with them, and Pikachu kept the Ariados from reaching Raelene, no one noticed the Fearow rising higher and higher into the air. It opened its mouth, and a bright light began to collect in its beak.

Raelene watched the confusion of the battle, unable to comprehend how Ash's pokemon could fend off so many pokemon. Her purple eyes jumped back and forth from each of his pokemon as they fought. Her eyes fell on Ash, who was completely concentrated on all of his pokemon. To her, people like him were a mystery. She didn't understand his motives. What could he gain by helping her? His pokemon were being overwhelmed by the adversary's pokemon, and still he and his pokemon continued to fight. If he was really trying to help her, then why, why did he want to help her?

Lior tugged on her dress. Raelene faced her Vulpix, who's red-brown eyes were directed to the sky. Raelene watched as the Fearow rose higher into the sky, and it's beak began to glow. Silently she gasped as she recognized that attack. She followed the Fearow's line of sight, and found that it was aimed at Ash. Raelene stood, moving forward; she had to warn him! Lior prevented a Golbat from hurting her with an ember attack, but then a Sludge Bomb from another Golbat forced her t jump back. Frowning, her eyes glanced at the Fearow, and she knew it was getting to fire the Hyper Beam it had stored up.

Raelene felt her heart plummet as the Fearow drew its head back. She turned back to Ash, her mouth shaking as it opened, "A…A…!" She tried to speak, but her voice was so hoarse from not being used for so long. The words she tried to form felt foreign to her, and fear gripped her as she tried to speak. She put a hand to her throat. What would she say if she spoke? What was she trying to say? Raelene bit her lip as tears of frustration began to gather in her eyes. She felt so confused. What was she doing? What was she afraid of? She clenched her hands into fists as she tried to control the fear and panic that rose in her throat. What was she afraid of?!

"Raelene, stay there!" Ash's voice reached her, "It's too dangerous here!"

" –Sh...! A…! " More tears fell from her amethyst eyes as her breath heaved and her throat ached. He was risking his life to save her, yet she was doing nothing to help him. Why couldn't she just speak?!

Raelene froze, her eyes growing wide, as she felt the air trembling. Something that was bright from above caused long shadows to be cast across the ground. Fearow must have fired the Hyper Beam! As the beam of energy drew closer and closer, a different kind of panic suddenly rose from out of Raelene's heart, an emotion that confused her greatly. Her legs began to move on their own accord as she rushed forward, all she could think of was Ash and how she was going to be too late, and suddenly she found herself screaming as loud as she could, "_**Ash, look out!**_**_!!!_**"

* * *

_**To Be Continued…**_


End file.
